The Style Renaissance
The Style Renaissance
Tom Curren's elegant equation that 'style is technique' is still the closest we have ever come to some sort of consensus on the confounding and polarising issue of style.
Finals Day 2024 saw the fissures freshly reopened after a hyper-kinetic Italo Ferriera plowed through a field of classic stylists before finally being stopped by John Florence. At the elite CT level, the pendulum had been swinging back to a more aesthetic interpretation of surfing, led by Ethan Ewing and assisted by Griffin Colapinto, which made the incursion of Ferreira's pump, pump, and boost approach even more jarring.
Beyond the CT though, a style renaissance has been blooming for years. There is now a non-CT style at the highest levels of the free-surfing game. We'll get back to that.
Tweaked back knee, arms slung low, torso poised, Tom Curren, shown here at Todos Santos, is still the guiding light for modern style (WSL/Surfer Magazine, Flame)
Beyond technique, style is the application and utilisation of physiology, temperament, and even culture. The latter being the most important factor over the last decade since the first Brazilian world title in 2014. These were kids who wanted to win, for whom the opinions of gringo surf media and online commentators were meaningless. A crop of hungry kids, including Italo, Jadson Andre, Adriano de Souza, Caio Ibelli were picked up and mentored by Luis 'Pinga' Henrique.
These days, every aspiring pro has a coach, but few have had as much success as Pinga. According to Brazilian surf journalist Julio Adler, “a very pragmatic coach, Pinga never believed in style and grace; elegance was a thing for the feeble. If you’re on Pinga’s program all that matters is victory”.
The outcomes of Pinga's coaching were, according to Adler, “Aggressive, effective, relentless. Hideous but profitable”.
That can't be argued with as, first Medina, then Adriano, then Italo, then Toledo, all stormed to world titles. Only John Florence was able to wrest a pair of titles off the Brazilians in the last decade, with a third one last weekend.
Though his pedigree couldn't be questioned, when John John first came on tour some questioned his 'low arm' style. After all, it ran counter to everything suburban coaches had been drilling into their students about arms swinging high as a counterweight.
The amended coaching approach - to not stifle natural style and work with intrinsic traits - can be chalked up to John John's success. Margaret River, 2017 (WSL/Hughes)
Yet cultures change; they evolve, and mature, become more aesthetic, more developed, according to the influence of key individuals.
As Pinga was fundamental in the initial anti-stylistic blast from the Brazilian Storm, so Leandro Dora has been instrumental in its reform. Once de Souza went to the Dora camp he realised he'd never been trained in simple things like arm movements, knee positions, all the aesthetics of surfing.
Adriano won't be remembered as a great stylist in the fashion of his Coolangatta idols Joel Parkinson and Mick Fanning, but it's arguable no CT surfer has ever improved their technique to the degree Adriano was able to. Chief recognition of this being the Bell he rung in 2013, followed by the world title in 2014.
Anyone accusing Brazilians of poor style, of course, is simply misinformed. Alongside the Pinga-inspired “elegance is for the feeble” approach, there are smooth as silk exponents like Miggy Pupo, Victor Bernardo, and Leandro's son Yago Dora.
Yago Dora, El Salvador, 2024, where he narrowly lost to John John. In Yago, the idea that you have to choose between being an air guy or a stylist is made redundant. He can boost as well as anyone yet does it with flowing style. (WSL/Hughes)
Given these movements in Brazilian surfing, plus the evolution and scoring of carve and flow on the CT, Italo's Finals Day effort looks now like a last crazed squall from a dying storm; an anachronism, not a signpost of future directions.
While the CT is still reverberating from the Finals Day dichotomy the jury has been in for a long time at the elite free-surf level. Style is in baby. Flapping, pumping, arm waving all kaput.
The list of non-CT stylists is long.
At the pure performance end of the spectrum, Noa Deane and Harry Bryant have laid down heavy tracks with quiet bodies across Australian slabs and overseas points. The CT tendency to ride shorter boards in bigger waves is fine for thirty-minute chunks of time with another guy in the water and a jetski to tow you back out again, but a complete dead end for the recreational surfer. Bryant showed a much more fruitful path in his Wake in Fright spoof Motel Hell, riding a Josh Keogh 7'2” quad in double overhead Moroccan points.
Aussie pros riding longer, nineties-inspired shortboards have developed a distinct non-CT style that showcases huge turns on good waves. Leverage, length of rail, and line drive all comes with the package. Flapping and pumping only disturbs water flow on craft of ample dimension.
Haz atop the famed Keogh quad, albeit at an Irish slab not a Moroccan pointbreak (Dave Fox)
At the more alternative end of the spectrum Bryce Young, Torren Martyn, and Oscar Langburne seemed to have picked up the torch so elegantly carried by Dave Rastovich for decades.
The take home for rec surfers is simple: given a good wave you don't need to flap or hop or pump or wave your arms around especially on suitable equipment to do good surfing. Lean over, put the rail in the water, and utilise the wave power to gain speed.
Bryce Young's deft touch belies his unrelenting power (needessentials)
Across the Pacific, stylemasters abound. Of course, California has waves more suitable to what current style lord Corey Colapinto terms “retro-futuristic” approaches. Flatter rocker, length, variations on the San Diegan fish have all elevated beautiful surfing, from the likes of Ryan Burch, Derek Disney, Jimmy Thompson and others. It's a golden age for style on both side of the Pacific.
Female surfing doesn't have the heritage of free-surfing behind it, yet, but at the CT level we have the steeziest teen on the planet as the new world champ. Simmers has elevated poetic surfing with radical punctuation to No 1, and there's a salivating prospect the Queen of Style, Steph Gilmore, will face off with Simmers at Snapper Rocks next year.
Caity's 'quiet arms' at Pipeline 2024 were compared to Dane's. Not Dane Reynold's, however, the style comparison came from a few generations hence - Dane Kealoha (WSL/Bielmann)
Contrary to common claims that surfing style sucks, everyone surfs the same etc etc, I'd argue it's the best it's ever been. The most varied, the most functional, and of course, the most aesthetically pleasing.
How do you see it?
// STEVE SHEARER
Comments
To my eye, Bryce Young has the best style on Earth. That photo is incredible.
Since I began watching pro surfing my favourite surfers have always been the stylish free surfers and handful of CT guys who kept up in that regard.
My memory bank of live pro surfing extends about as far as Parko’s rookie days. I preferred him to Taj, Kelly, even Mick (who is up there for style).
Ever since Griff Cola came onto the scene I saw a lot of Joel in him. Now we have Ethan who is a mix of a few but as good as it gets for me. John too.
Other style lords down the line from Bryce in no particular order:
- Jai Glindeman
- Noa Deane
- Torren Martyn
- Creed Mctaggart
- Rasta
East Coast Australia is full of them. There’s so many at every nook and cranny along this sunkissed coast.
This will be a passionate thread. Starts to pique ideas around ‘subjectively’and ‘opinion’.
That's incredible. So much to examine there. How's the placement of the back foot in relation to the turn he's putting down..
Wow. What an incredible shot.
Im kinda surprised no one in the CT has even tried an asym on a forehand point. Bryces’s turns are right up there.
I rather watch a stylish surfer such as Ethan Ewing with speed, power and flow any day.
I am not into surfers trying too hard to add stylistic flair and showboat it. If it comes out naturally I’m all for it. I do like surfers like Jai G and Torren but sometimes I see the former characteristic. Many other surfers do this too.
I like to see the natural personality shine through, so Andy and Margo are at the top of the tree for me.
Closely followed by, in no particular order - Parko, Occ, Curren, Lynchy, and quite a few others.
In the retro side of things Rasta is still the best. Ryan Burch does those stylistic flairs but they come across as part of his personality to me so I give him a pass.
If they are done out of genuine stoke they also get a pass - see Steph Gilmore, heath Joske soul arch at Jbay contest.
It’s a fine line I know.
Bruce was more graceful than Andy
+1
Agree
Andy had the style and the power
Watching Andy surf live was something else........ I surfed with Margo once on the gold coast in the late nineties he was just hanging, just another surfer in the lineup
classic Low key ripper.
there were a few older surfers in my hometown that were a cut above,
that is one thing you cant fake in surfing
you can work all day on your technique yet your natural style still bleeds through.
nice article @freeride76.
Doesn't Michael February deserve a mention?
Too contrived I reckon.
My thoughts, too.
+ 1
No way, seeing him live is something else. I feel like Oscar's style is too focused on style alone, feels contrived
I reckon. I love his surfing.
I reckon AI had it all, the way he transitioned from rail to rail, his timing and power,
his perfect style was natural and effortless, what a class act. His body shape and physique, very similar to EE also played a huge part.
It's hard for short fat dudes with a bad case of luigi legs to look stylish.
Oh, and Liam O’Brien is by far my current favourite style lord on the CT.
Kelly might be the greatest of all time but I’ll take Curren any day. Kelly may have evolved with surfing over 3 decades. Curren was a revolutionary of style in the 80s. His rail game and style is still relevant and current 40 years on.
Funny how Kelly never gets mentioned in the same breath as Curren, AI, Parko etc when it comes to style. He hasn’t got a bad style at all, but he does tend to flail around quite a bit compared with some of the other greats.
Yeah I was thinking about him. Of course not too much wrong with what he’s doing is there? But yeah……..his style is great, just ‘different’ I guess to those smooth operators mentioned above
Perhaps Slater never gets mentioned in the same breath as Curren because every single thing he does or has ever done is contrived. It's as if you can see him thinking his way through ever single thing he's ever been recorded doing. Can you imagine him just going somewhere and surfing because it's fun, rather than because he'll get attention/it will result in his net worth increasing/add to his legend/prove he's the best of all-time/convince MBS to let him build 100 wave pools in the Saudi desert, etc etc etc?
Capitalist pig-dogging his way through life.
Steve. Adriano was 15, Medina 14
Single fins & heavy boards meant body torque was required for big power turns; turning those boards was muscular, athletic & stylish if effective in the 70's.
Most 80's small twin fins & thrusters pivoted. Many "coat hanger" arms flailed, flapped, feet pumped & adjusted to spray waves & sway judges in small sloppy waves. . We were getting use to safety surfing for points.
The Al Merrick 6'6"pintail with Tom Curren on board, was a single fin driving, down the line style renaisance, idolised by many and won many titles.
Anything was possible on good waves.... without shedulers, judges and crap comp waves. Living the surfers dream.
and then someone morphed that 'style' eg. Slater back to the future ...slip sliding & then in the air for many wins. Why would you stop....
https://www.theinertia.com/video/kelly-slater-momentum-generation-first-...
We forgot safety surfing for points.... for men.
What judge can resist high scoring faster, dynamic, edge of possible, new wave surfing ? (flatter rocker between the feet & tail?)
&t=12s
with an air....or two ?
Kids, please dont try this at home, without warming up, stretching, with a experienced personal trainer and a lot of practice... in closeouts ....away from the crowds.
You will probably brake bones, crush cartilage, be out of the water, hobbling around & lose a world title.
flater rocker is faster, though less forgiving.
Jay Phillips’ liquid jazz. You can’t teach that!
Nice article Steve. I think it was Ian Cairns who said “if you want to turn, lean over”
Good article. Gerry Lopez was probably the greatest example of the triumph of style in the popular surfing imagination. There had been many great small wave stylists. Gerry had the legitimacy given by doing it at Pipeline.
As a member of the general surfing public at the time, I don’t think many thought Gerry was the best surfer in the world, but he was a lot of people’s favourite surfer.
Trevor Gordon from Cali is another one you could add to the style list. He’s unreal.
Bryce Young, Yago, Jai G, Victor Bernado and Andy and JJF for me.
Oscar L looks like he tries too hard to be a mini Ando, Italo is horrendous and Tyler Wright has a stinker as well.
sound track
sound track of my youth!
A fair chunk of mine too David.
Wiggolly Dantas... that is all. just wanted his name mentioned as an absolute WCT style master (with O'Leary/Jordy/Ramzi levels of power) from Brazil. loved watching him surf in comps.
I appreciate the style discussion Longtom, thanks for bring it to light!; if you haven't ever watched Jeff Grosso's loveletters to skating, he did a really good one on style, it's worth a look:
Is style the art of making it look easy
?si=JUySn-xJAjIvTv59Effortlessness?
Then there’s Bruce McAvaneys famous
commentary style
Yes it is and that is a perfect example!
Style is the ‘ definition’ of Style ?
did curren or surfers of that era ,ever have a coach??
do you think the difference between back then and now, is that most modern surfers on the tour have a coach and they are being coached into a repertoire of maneuvers to score points ?
not sure, just an opinion or my observation,
Miki Dora, who you may or may not agree with on this, or any other thing, seems to have summed it up in only four words.
"Too many nervous surfers."
And for myself, I agree with that sentiment wholeheartedly.
Style = Craig Anderson!!
Another knock-kneed Novocastrian.
MR, Luke Egan, Ando. What is it about up there? Do they wear cheap thongs..?
Craig's from South Africa.
he is not a novocastrian !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
to be a novocastrian you have to be born there, surf media has bent this rule
so im........ setting it straight!
Style award for alliteration - 'Another knock-kneed Novocastrian'!
+1 for Luke Egan
Firm favourite
Great article. From a comps perspective, I guess the challenge is to score points for style. Speed, power and even flow are much easier to quantify (towards a score) than style, which is much more subjective and harder to quantity. If it weren't, I guess Machado would have most world titles in the 90s. :)
Great article Steve, I grew up surfing with Wayne Lynch turning up at spots down south and being amazed at how effortless and stylish he was. The footage of him at the Aussie titles at Margret river was classic.
Read somewhere that style is making the difficult look effortless. Goes a long way to explain why the Brazilian storm, despite their obvious skills, just don’t have the same level of visual appeal. Everything looks so forced and hard, in stark contrast to someone like Parko or EE, who are so effortless they almost look lazy. The absolute pinnacle of style for me is the guys who have the effortless nonchalance mixed in with a bit of unpredictability and daring. Andy is probably the best example of this, but Margo, Bryce Young and even guys like Victor B come to mind too. Effortlessness, power but also unpredictability. Just my thoughts on the matter…
Terepai Richmond
Jeremy Smith
Jay Phillips
I think points should be knocked off for bunny-hopping (See Italo). Tom Curren never did a bunny hop in his life and he managed to generate speed
Absolutely love Tom Curren , but you've never watched the Huntington contests ( not that it was his fault in that crappy surf )
Was about to say the same about the Huntington Hop.
Watched him win at Burleigh twice in small crap bouncing all over the place.
Not only could he bunny hop, he was one of the best at it!
Didn’t Bruce brown in the endless summer say something like “surfing is life where style is just an option”
Or was it
‘Style is life where surfing is just an option “
When you observe a beginner to intermediate surfing you'll often see their body wiggling independently to their board, they haven't mastered technique properly yet. Style is functional at it's core . What shits me is when the WSL reward body torque over actual board movement ( I know a lot of people love Joao Chianca but he's a big offender in this space) .
Brilliant, great writing right up there with my #1 fave “How wild is your surfing life?”. Both of these articles form the fabric of surfing culture. Thank you!
There are some key elements of style that translate well across the board disciplines- surf, skate, snow.
In the book 'Surfing, the manual' by Jim Kempton he describes this as 'Body English". The description and breakdown of the manoeuvres illustrates well the actual functionality of body movement and flow in performance surfing. The 'look' is actually just a result of good technique. Great examples of Rasta, Townsend, Parko and Bertlemann in that publication.
Nothing worse than seeing someone desperately trying to be stylish.
Like those logger chicks in floral front zip wetsuits, holding one arm above their head like they are lassoing a bull as they vogue and pose all the way to the beach on a 6" wavelet, while glancing around to see who is watching.
Youve either got or you haven't got style
If you've got it, you stand out a mile.
A flower is not a flower if its wilted,
A hat is not a hat till its tilted.
Youve either got or you haven't got class.
Bing Crosby.
This 100%.
I reckon it was style in the first place that drew my attention to surfing .The elegance in which a wave can be just ridden , without even turning is beautiful to watch when done with style .So many earlier professional and recreational surfers had their own unique style ,they still exist today of course and you can see it clearly ,it’s like they are feeling the wave and moving with its energy and are in union.
Too many to name ,MR ,Tom Curren and Joel Parkinson stick out for me ,it’s like they are not surfing in a sense more gliding nearly floating .The same dance move can be performed by two people and the difference between them can nearly look like the other is doing something else entirely different.
MR swooping bottom turn ,Tom Currens classic (my personal favourite of all time )bottom turn are both full of style ,however entirely different .
I think it’s what makes surfing the beautiful thing it is .
Well said.
Great article.
Strongly agree re Adriano being most improved of the CT crew. Incredible transformation.
Off the top of my head, these are my current faves: Noa Deane, Jai Glindeman, and possibly the best surfer/shaper in Aus - Ben Webb
Agree with this a lot, see Ben in the water a lot around here. Style and humble too.
Third shot - shades of Taylor Knox on the bonzer?
His dad had a beautiful style.
Being on the bigger side I like watching the big guys, Jordy, Owen.
I said it in the finals live comments, no more points for messy air exits. Touch downs don't wash in the other board sports, nor should it in surfing.
Agreed. Also if it's a one arial turn while rest of the wave keeps running off down the line( Italo in the finals ) , stop over scoring.
Longer boards and long point breaks foster pleasant styles. Curren, Rincon. Jordy, Jbay. Oc, Parko, Mick, Ewing the Goldy Pts. G. Merchant relocated Occy to the Goldy in order to clean up his style. Slater evolved from Currens textbook. As opposed the Brazilians grew up surfing short punchy beachies.
As opposed to those long Florida right points...
Loved Peter Drouyn’s smooth long board style in Witzigs trilogy. Always smooth with that hint of femininity. Years later it would all make sense.
By definition everyone has style...
style /stīl/
noun
1. The way in which something is said, done, expressed, or performed.
"a style of teaching."
2. The combination of distinctive features of literary or artistic expression, execution, or performance characterizing a particular person, group, school, or era.
3. Sort; type.
"a style of furniture."
For me I like a signature style...doesn't have to be "smooth" or a certain look, but rather unique and central to the individual. There was surfer from the Goldy in the 80's "Snail" Charman, had a really unique style I loved. After that I always liked Jay Phillips for his unique hand posture going into turns. If you were looking for a classic ascetic, you couldn't go past Will Lewis.
I really don't like anything contrived or replicated. I saw a clip of Steph surfing a Ryan Burch pickle yesterday and there was some magical "Steph" turns but also a couple of really sorry looking copycat turns.
Be yourself.
Much of the longboarding renaissance that Joel Tudor inspired from the late 90s onward was a reaction to how the shortboard style had developed on multiple fins. It then took off into an enormous movement in surfing, and is the biggest growth sector in the sport over the last 30 years. Perhaps it got to the point where it parodied itself in recent years with the stuff like bum riding? But at any rate, if you want to see good styles locally, look to the longboard crews as they have it in droves. It's been good to see them take up single fin shortboards in recent years, I've seen some great fast, fluid surfing done on these.
I know when most of us talk about ‘style’ we’re probably talking reduced or relaxed upper body movements or body/board motion in synch with the wave.
But really when I think about it deeply, I don’t quite know what it is. It’s really just what is aesthetic to the observer I guess.
But think about it really hard. You know how you say a word over and over it loses it meaning? It’s just sounds, mouth movements? It’s like this for me when I ponder styles of surfing.
I mean, how can we really compare? A backhand may as well be a different sport to forehand. Airs vs carves. Twins vs thrusters. 80’s v 2000’s.
If I was born in Rio, I’d probably think Italo looks amazing. I live east coast Australia so my influence is more LOB and Ethan.
There’s so many variables, so much nuance to which I find surfing difficult to fit the ‘sport’ mould.
This thinking out aloud solves it for me - the wiggling on waves we do really is just art, nothing more, nothing less.
Yeah, pet dislikes are those who pump a longboard (what for ?- wetted area = speed), and "bum riding" (so you've learnt to noseride but don't yet possess the talent to move to the tail & set up the next turn) therefore fall on arse & pretend this was how you meant to exit the maneuver...ha!
Great article and lots of food for thoughts. I just don't agree on the fact that the judges criteria moved towards style that much. At trestles Italo won against some of the best stylists around and was scored golden points for aesthetically unpleasant stuff all the way to the final. Only then the judges must have thought… ‘wait a minute’...
Has anyone mentioned Terry Fitzgerald, The Sultan of Speed? Now there was style. I still remember a cover shot (Surfer magazine?) of him dropping down a glorious Sunset peak. And what about that footage of him racing across smoking 6 to 8ft J Bay walls in the 70's. (I've forgotten the name of the film if someone could remind me). Some great footage of him in MOTE too.
He was featured in 'Fantasea' (1979) - same footage used in Hot Buttered's 'Sultans of Speed' (1988).
Thanks, scott. That looks like the footage I remember.
It’s amazing. Just watched that. But imagine if one of the pros paddled out and surfed with that style today. People would likely have a very different opinion as to how ‘stylish’ that was.
Or imagine if Courtney Conologue (style not popular by today’s standards) paddled out in the 70’s and surfed how she does now.
So contextual.
Style = Kai Otton
Laurie Towner I forgot to mention as well, earlier.
One of the best.
parko & jjf - at jbay and bells does it for me - honorary mentions to owen and jordy too- great article steve- style is everything to me- i have struggled to appreciate andino or fil for their lack of it compared to others
Surfers who do heavy power turns, even if they might personally disdain ‘style’, style seems to look after itself.
SUP style
?si=hnx_buzLuW9oFVzODifferent styles on the one wave !
Robby Naish
Kong and Gary Timperley are both style core lords in my wee book.....
Pirsig put forth the proposition that style happens when function has form but function is the prerequisite.
ie. if an object designed for a purpose does not function to its purpose it doesn't matter how good it looks. Whereas something/someone that functions well and looks good while doing it has style.
Going on my fallable memory here as it has been nearly 40 years since I read Pirsig's book.
Col Smith Redhead
Terry Richo
Bobby Martinez
My bro had a pretty stylish soul arch bottom turn which later morphed into a beer gut bottom turn which I thought even more stylish.
"Point the gut the board will follow"
soundtrack below
Thanks Steve...never caught on the first visit but ya got tbb hooked as did the crew...
Prepared to wade in...but back paddle to boardriding years to share a secret stylish precious stoke.
tbb was a huge fan of Shaun's Tube Riding & long carved power lines as many were.
But even that was kept part secret in Bronzed Aussies / MP / MR larger than Life Oz Era...
Into the end of my comp / Boardriding days early 1981 there was another surfer that stood out.
Stood out so far ahead he's never mentioned ... coz he was never meant to be that good.
The only surfer that nailed rad moves back to front as if he, himself, invented them.
Deconstructed the whole game & reshaped it to command his own timeless style era!
Dude picked up the busted down door to re-hinge it as a Kung Foo bar door...that's my scene...Gulp!
There he stands alone...can't think of another since...that surfs so rad & so stylishly.
We're talking about pioneering critical Steep large Slab surfing with speed, style & grace.
Yes! New waves in new lands...just watch him take off late, tube deeper then fly off the face & back on.
Also one of the last deck dancers...walk, twist and shape any which way as a Style Master.
Can't recall him ever once presenting less than cool...despite his critical rad moves!
First 3D Pop Up & off the page surfer in Mags...Watch you doing out here...get back on yer page!
Has the remarkable ability to reshape a recovery into a mind blowing new rad move.
Watched a Hall of Fame Vid (Below)..the guy reveals his parents as heroes.
Coz they were initial Tour sponsors & they always allowed packs of Blowin surfers to stay over.
Thanks his shaper for stylin' his Lamborghinis...and also all his mentors & fortunate upbringing.
Takes nothing for granted & love saluting others ahead of himself...how he rolls! Hawaiian Style!
But also equally Salutes Oz Bells Mentors Terry Fitz Board/s & Mark Warren's Mentorship...
Mark's off the shoulder power ripping stylish cut backs & bottom turns are foundation in his repertoire.
https://cdn.sanity.io/images/f1hjpcr4/production/249a9d0a4bb3a1db153f8bb...
Yeah! Has Mark's undervalued Oz power carve attack mode about him...but refined it to suit.
Voted least likely looking surfer dude.
Voted least likely to Win a Tour but most likely to beat the best surfer at any Location.
That's sums him up perfectly...ya can't never put him in a box or rule him out!
The Ultimate Supa Stylin' Surfer X.
You could win Pipe & this guy would shame ya after the Hooter...WTF dude...that's a [12]!
Ya could say he has that freakish nerd like persona of our Current off the cuff Stylish Champ.
Won't say who coz reckon the crew know who by now...anyhow!
Just saying to those of us from his era...treasure him...others wouldn't know nuthin'!
Funny thing was...even then, we had to secretly like this pale spotty Ranga...Fark!
Italian Grom with Red hair & Freckles that never settled here nor there!
But if he rocked up at Pipe, Sunset or Bells or Safari ...This Grom flicks the switch & lights it up...
The more Wild the Wave the more impossibly stylish he surfs...very emotional he is...seriously!
You'll find that out in a minute...
One of the very few that drools & even cries about Sunset...loves the wildest Wave challenge!
His secret is not beating surfers or conquering waves but loves an near impossible surprise quest.
Damn Hot & will blow you all away and every surfer of the day knew it...
Just we all swore to refuse to say so...coz it wasn't then possible!
No supposed to happen in our world in that era...way too soon for gamer quest mindset!
Ya see the problem was...no surfer of the day was cool with being captivated...say wot?
Happened just like that it did...grom tbb swears & was also hooked as a secret admirer!
The dude pretends to struggle with knowing shit about surfing but will blow soul brother's minds!
The cheeky Grom knows everything about surfing and more...he just doesn't let on...until the very end!
This dude could easily be the best Surf Commentator & Tour Rep > Watch, listen & Learn.
Surfer X Closing Thoughts : "I felt this really heavy feeling come over me (Tear!) and it was really a very strong feeling and that was the bonding with the Ocean that I had and it was just like one of those moments where I couldn't really define it at the time but I just knew something big was kinda happening and so, I just kinda um...like to leave you on the thought that if you really get in Harmony with the Ocean...you really never know what the outcome is gonna be, she might just let you do something really great. So that's all I really wanna say...Thank You very Much Everybody...
( Crowd Cheers Claps ...Yew! )
Blown Away...Wow! Pay attention Gromz to the Unheralded King of the Grom Stylin! Shh!
That's about as smooth & stylish yer ever gonna hear from a Hall o' Fame surfer...
Did ya just hear what he said and never said!
Never about competing or surfing but devotion to the ocean...that's the secret!
...that's tbb's kinda surfer! How can any crew not love that pure stoke!
That dude surfs in his sleep...2020 still an inspiration to us dry docked Hodad crew...gonna cry!
https://www.facebook.com/HotlineWetsuits/videos/bobby-owens-throwback-su...
Just watch and learn gromz! Listen to how thankful & humble this marvelous surfer still is...Salute!
&t=931sNice tbb,
I remember the coverage he got then, many pics in mags, and some footage in movies. I loved and appreciated his style. I thought he was an honest surfer, deliberately smooth and graceful just like his careful choice of words as the above video conveys.
Style is the epitome of expression, connection with the elements, a direct soulful dictation when you find that groove in a flowing sense, in sequence, in motion, with allowance.
Qld surfers ..Rabbit Bartholomew.. Thornton Fallander, MP come to mind
NSW surfers... Nat Young, Midget, both stylists, PT, Terry Fitz, I dare say, most of these stylists were influenced by the Hawaiian expressionists of BK, Reno Abellira, with that single fin smooth lines display of command, was a treat to witness it during that time.
Modern-day surfers don't have that bent flexed knee low hands style groove of the 70's many had. Although I love Connor Coffin how that guy surfs is a pure delight to watch.. oozing with style and grace.! :) Had to comment..Cheers
Let’s hope though that the future looks like a combination of style and technical & critical airs though.
Then those that are not as good in the air can’t hide behind the safety of the style argument. Let’s have both
Regressive topic.
?si=gvOlyC7MMXGqyWEXI think this is such an interesting topic. Reading this, I found myself thinking of two separate themes: the surfers whose style I am attracted to, and how style can be performed and commodified in the modern era.
It's funny to me that I immediately started to think of local surfers or those on the edges of being 'professionals'. I think in some ways there's an element of style that needs to be accessible for me to be really drawn to it. Jordy coming out of that barrel then pumping down the line and launching into an incredible was flawless, but is so far from what I can do on a surfboard that I don't look at it in the same way. Of course, I'll never do a backhand snap like Made Lana but there's something about it that I can almost feel when I watch it. I think the most stylish surfing to me always has that element. That's perhaps why I don't look at aerial surfing as being very stylish, even when technically and aesthetically perfect.
And then I think of the commodification of it, and how elements of what people might call stylish surfing can be performed. Like old dog said, the arm up over the head in trim on a log, or the mistimed soul arch. The real common one now is the drop knee, and I think we will see a lot more of that thanks to all the surf coaching videos on the internet these days telling people that their knees should "kiss" while surfing. Style obviously sells really well, particularly in emerging markets, and there's plenty of surfers getting paid to surf these days that are paid much more for style than anything else. I heard a professional surfer say on a podcast that they've never been barreled and found that really bizarre. Good on them I say, but strange nonetheless.
Most of all though, I jus wanted to post this take on style from Sterling:
https://www.instagram.com/sterlingspencer/reel/C5EfkD0OwYK/
root of style is personnel expression, sitting in the line up and just speechless where you are.. un touch by the bs around you yet literally being at peace in a storm.. then turn everything inside out cause nothing else matters.
+ Clay Marzo
Dean Morrison
Great article FR. Been saving this one for a Sunday arvo.
Great comments all.
Margo for me still the top of the tree....well maybe alongside Curren.
Occy for his unique style, the strength in those legs and the quiet upper body.
Parko all the way, oozes it. Mason Ho has that current blend of that classic old school Hawaiian style which i love and could go on a different tangent on (buttons etc).
Style i think is a perfect stance, and reading the wave to the point you know when to power on and power off. I reckon a persons style is exposed the most in the bottom turn. A great style = an exceptional bottom turn.
Thanks FR.
Rob Machado
Koa Rothman Malibu , skip ahead
?si=nALih9kcrjxLn4JzEverything i know about style i got from Bukowski.
Proper style enfolds a hidden element of darkness. Contains the seeds of its own destruction. Cannot last, but does anyway. For a while. Sometimes I wonder if Dora and Bukowski weren't the same person somehow. Somewhen. People without it can never know it, but sometimes they can see it. From a distance.
Drinking beer with style .
I’ll throw my hat in the ring here…as a kid growing up around Coolangatta I put forward -
Sean ‘Reg’ Riley - behind the rock at Snapper
Jason ‘China’ O’Connor - spin it to win it at Greenmount.
2 other Jason’s from the same ere - Jason Gale and Jason Spence.
These guys all inspired me as a 9 year old frother. To me it seemed magical and even transcendent what they could do on a wave.
None probably ever won a comp in their lives but had style for miles.
The antithesis of style from that era - Jeremy ‘ET’ Byles
Not sure if anyone mentioned him above in the comments but there was a great Brazilian stylist years ago - Flavio Padaratz.
Wayne Lynch, Daryl Parkinson, Asher Pacey, Ryan Burch.....
Nice article. Whilst style may or may not be rewarded competitively, it is commercially!
Have any two people sold more boards than Craig Anderson and Torren Martyn based on style alone?! I've never seen a channel twin or a Hypto surfed stylishly in real life! But I have seen hundreds.
If I were Bryce Young, I'd get a factory going in Thailand, release a movie of just surfing one board, you could call it The Dongus, it wouldn't matter. Make bank.
Then do a 7'2" midlength twin version of it, make a film of it and call it the SchlongaDongus.
Or make a 5’2 and call it a SchlortaDongus.
Among the "anti stylists" in the 70's was Tommy Peterson, we used to call him the Rubber Man!
I'm coming around on M-Feb, he does some beautiful surfing in this clip- really strong off the bottom.
As far as coaching goes, aided and abetted by wave pools, this girl seems to typify it.
This is about her dreams and goals to become a pro surfer.
Every single thing about her surfing looks forced, unnatural, and frankly, really ugly.
Maybe its been mentioned already TL:DR all the comments but I reckon the section in Castles in the sky where Rasta shoots the pier then does a big carve @ 5.20 onwards is some great stylish surfing, its the part that has fleet foxes 'Mykonos' sound track, and yes 'changing tempo' also has some tasty surfing just watched it yesterday
lynch -Curren - machado - parko - AI - JJF
"Natural Born Carving
I have always felt that the true measure of a surfer is how he carves. For me the ultimate canvas for sublime and stylish carving was always J-Bay.
There seems to be a lot of focus on carving and style these days - hold your arms just right and your knees just so. That's not style, that's pretense. Style is a natural representation of your inner soul and not your outer skin. Art not artifice, origination not derivation.
Gabriel, John John, Ethan, Yago, Jordy - all beautiful in their own unique and natural way.
I surfed J-Bay for the first time in 1968 and the inimitable Art Brewer captured this picture in July 1975, with my dear Dad looking on.
My board of choice for J-Bay was usually a 7' round pin shaped by Spider Murphy but on this day I was on a 6' 8". '75 was when I really came to understand the wave, how to use power carves on the wall and how to take the high line across the expansive walls and into the tube section at Impossibles. On weekdays, 10 people were a crowd and those days were some of the best days of my life.
Famed photographer Bernie Baker once called me a "natural born carver" and it was one of the great compliments of my surfing life.
Salute to the natural born carvers."
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/QihXoKqZf7FaCHdp/
Nice gouge.
Dane Reynolds is interesting to think about when considering style. He has expressed an abhorrence of trying to be stylish. To him, that would be phony. And yet, he just rips turns and people love his ‘style’. And, he’s a fan of Craig Anderson, who is ‘stylish’, but the way Craig surfs must be just him.
Parko has said he never tried to be stylish. It’s just how he surfs.
I suppose surfing style should reflect your natural movement. Your surfing style should be part of you, like the way you walk down the street.
Still sometimes, you need help. I read an interview with stylemaster Terry Fitzgerald. He said he saw himself on film and his style looked ugly. He put it down to doing all his surfing on short walled Sydney peaks. He went and spent 6 months surfing the gold coast points. He said, that was where he turned into the sultan of speed.
Exactly , this guy, that guy, surfers love sucking each other off and also putting each other down . You surf how you surf ,some have put in more time, so are better at it.. Some are so good they can win comps n shit but we all started for the fun ..
Social media
Has no style?
Paver
https://m.
&pp=ygUORmlzaCBzb3VwIHN1cmY%3DThis guy is right up there for style.
Where is this?